Love after Death
by JenCollins1
Summary: When you find your soulmate, nothing can stand between you... /Written with @WordsAblaze /


\- Phil! I'm home! - Dan called right after the door shut behind him and a soft click told him that it had locked too.

From where he was sat cross-legged on the floor in the living room, Phil looked up with a lazy smile. - Dan! In the living room! - he called back, knowing Dan would come to him.

Dan came to Phil with a bag with fresh food, stopping a couple of feet away from Phil.

\- Oh, baby. Why are you drinking again, huh? - Dan put the bag down in Phil's lap, taking away his almost empty vodka bottle.

Phil shrugged, starting to fiddle with the bag now that his hands were empty. - I don't know, I can't remember, I think it was something to do with you but… - he trailed off, confused at himself.

\- Come here, baby. - Dan pulled Phil up, holding a hand around his waist. - You're so skinny! Haven't you eaten properly? -

Phil leaned into Dan's warmth, shrugging, more concerned with Dan than himself. - I'm still alive so I guess so? -

\- We need you to eat something. I got a bag full of your favourite foods, - Dan murmured against Phil's hair, leading him to the kitchen.

Still carrying the bag Dan had given him, Phil put it on the table and waited, watching Dan. - You really didn't have to, I'm not that hungry… - he mumbled eventually.

\- Enough! - Dan cut Phil off in a slightly stricter tone, softening once again right away, cupping Phil's face in his hands. - You need to eat properly, love. For me, please? -

Phil sighed but nodded slowly, lifting his own hand and putting it over Dan's with a smile. - Okay, okay, I will. What's first then? -

\- Hot soup to warm you up and then some puffy pancakes with fruits. Plus, I got us Ribena too! - Dan murmured against Phil's skin, pecking his jawline, slowly letting go of Phil and starting to make food for him.

\- Thank you, - Phil whispered, not minding if Dan heard or not, helping to get the stuff set up so Dan wasn't doing all the work for him.

Dan was singing softly while cooking, making the unsettling feeling within Phil fully disappear, flashing soft smiles at Phil time from time.

Phil did try to help at first but he was still a little out of it from the vodka so he settled with leaning on the counter and smiling back at Dan, sighing as the smell of warm food filled the room.

Dan smiled, bringing his dimples out, sitting down in front of Phil, helping Phil eat, making sure that Phil ate everything.

\- My beautiful sunshine. I'm so proud of you. - Dan leaned closer to Phil, whispering in his ear, - Just remember to eat properly later too. -

Phil hummed, smiling a little wider as he found and gently squeezed Dan's hand. - It's fine, I'll have you to remind me, won't I? -

\- Sure. Just try to remember by yourself first. - Dan smiled, getting up, leading Phil somewhere.

Nodding again, Phil just followed Dan, already feeling a little better. - Now what? - he asked.

\- A warm shower. - Dan flashed a smile to Phil before opening the bathroom door.

But Phil stopped, shaking his head. - Do we really have to? I'm already warm from the soup… - he complained.

\- Phil, when was the last time you showered, hm? - Dan let his hands rest on his hips.

\- Um. - Phil frowned, his memory a little hazy. - What day is it again? -

\- See, you can't remember. That just means that you need that shower. - Dan pulled Phil closer by his hips.

Phil didn't exactly hug Dan but he did rest his head on Dan's shoulder, breathing in the scent of his cologne before sighing. - You'll stay with me though, right? -

\- Always, - Dan breathed out, looking deep into Phil's eyes, sliding fingers over his cheek.

\- Mhm, I love you, - Phil mumbled, finally putting an arm around Dan in return, lost in the sincerity in his eyes.

Dan smiled, undressing Phil, softly pushing him under the shower.

Phil didn't really pay much attention to what was happening, just focused on staring at Dan, at his soft smile and his cute dimples - dimples that Phil eventually reached up and poked, of course.

Dan giggled in return, pulling Phil into a soft, puffy towel, drying him off.

\- Are we done? - Phil asked, his voice a little quieter than usual now.

\- Yes, - Dan breathed out, - time to put you to bed, these dark circles don't suit you. -

\- I don't need sleep, I'm fine, can't we do something else? - Phil asked, trying his best to pout.

\- Baby, you haven't slept almost at all. And I thought you liked cuddling? - Dan tilted his head to the side.

Phil looked like he wanted to just stamp his foot in frustration. Instead, he just nodded in defeat. - Yeah, of course, I do… -

\- Then let's go to bed. - Dan put the wet towel down, leading Phil to the big bed. - Do you want to put on my shirt? Or will you sleep fully naked? -

Giggling, Phil shook his head a little, frowning as a stray droplet of water flew off his hair. - Can I have your shirt, please? -

\- Of course. - Dan smiled, pulling off the shirt he was wearing and giving it to Phil, helping Phil get it on. - You are so beautiful. You always take my breath away. -

Hearing the words "breath away", something moved inside Phil, letting unknown darkness start to seep into his bones, but he just couldn't put his finger on what it was and why it happened.

Once he'd smoothened the shirt out, Phil didn't hesitate before softly kissing Dan, pulling away before Dan could do anything and murmuring: - You can keep your breath, you'll need it to kiss me later. -

Dan laughed, shaking his head and softly pushing Phil to the bed.

\- Even when I can't deny that that butt of yours is very sexy and calling right now, you need some good sleep as soon as possible. - Dan climbed into bed himself, already being in just boxers, letting Phil wonder when he had pulled his jeans off.

Phil just hummed, shuffling closer to Dan with a reluctant experession on his face. - I don't need sleep, but you did promise cuddles…? - he asked hopefully.

\- Yes, you know that I love them! - Dan smiled, opening his arms for Phil to get closer.

And Phil did, wrapping an arm around Dan and sliding even closer to him, resting his head on Dan's chest, trying to find his heartbeat to calm himself down.

But there was silence, and with every second it went on, the weird dark feeling got stronger and stronger for Phil.

For some reason, he couldn't quite figure out what it was. It was as if something had changed but nobody had told Phil, something was missing and he couldn't pinpoint it. Eventually, he looked up at Dan, frowning. - Dan, something's wrong, - he mumbled.

\- Everything is fine, angel, you need to calm down. - Dan smiled sadly, pulling Phil back down but never losing eye contact with him.

\- I don't get it… - Phil mumbled mostly to himself, pulling Dan closer, needing his security, but even that wasn't fully helping to tame the darkness of his confusion.

\- Everything will get better, believe me, - Dan murmured, starting to play with Phil's hair.

Phil was suddenly on high alert. - Get better? What do you mean, is something wrong? - he asked quickly, looking back at Dan.

\- Not anymore. Come, sleep. You need to get some sleep, baby. - Dan let his fingers slide over Phil's cheek, making Phil's eyelids droop, and when they opened again, Dan looked so much paler, his lips a bit blue-ish, his eyes looking dark with dark circles under.

Startled, Phil lifted a hand to cup Dan's face and found that his usually too-warm skin was cold and stiff, as if he was barely alive. Even his eyes looked less brown and more dull, less like Dan. - What's happening? - Phil asked quietly, not sure if he was talking to himself or Dan.

\- It's alright. You just need to get some good sleep. - Dan pulled Phil back closer, pushing his hair out of Phil's eyes.

Phil just shook his head again, his head already hurting from being so shocked, taking deep breaths. - No, no, you look better when I'm more awake. -

\- You will sleep a bit and then it will be alright. - Dan leaned down, softly kissing Phil.

The kiss acted as a breeze opening the gates, memories rushing to Phil, the soft kiss before Dan said an even softer "I love you" and walked out the door, and the call that made Phil's blood freeze, after that him walking numbly into the cold room, seeing him there, with dried blood all over his hair, ruining his soft curls, sunkissed skin now pale, his brown eyes closed, the soft lips still with blood tinting them just a bit more alive, he was there, he was dead, part of Phil's soul taken away. It all rushed back to Phil, realization hitting him hard.

Phil gasped silently, his grip on Dan tightening but the warmth he'd been getting from Dan's touch fading, fading away because now he knew what he'd been missing and he couldn't undo that realisation. But he tried, imagining Dan as best as he could when he was alive and well, pushing everything else out of his mind, wanting to go back to when they could really do this.

Dan placed a soft kiss on Phil's eyelids, the kiss actually being warm and soft, feeling so real.

Phil sighed, his eyes closing for a moment but then snapping back open as he looked at Dan. - You won't be here in the morning, will you? - he asked sadly, already knowing the answer.

\- Why such a question? - Dan furrowed his brows, tilting his head to the side.

\- Because I know that, in the morning, after waking up, you won't be here and I will be all alone yet again. And I can't, I can't lose you once again, - Phil cried out, Dan pulling him into a soft hug.

\- It's alright, angel. I will always be by your side, I will always be with you. And you know it. I love you, Phil. Now sleep, baby. - Dan let his lips rest softly against Phil's, carrying him to sleep with no pain.


End file.
